bkoganbing
The nursing profession gets a look in this second of the Carry On series of films. Carry On Nursing takes place in the public male ward of a hospital where we have one interesting section of cross Brittania Carry On style.Among the patients are boxer Kenneth Connor, professor Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey who seems to be in his own world, Terence Longden who is getting acquainted with nurse Shirley Eaton, Leslie Phillips who just wants a bunion removed and keeps getting that constantly postponed and in a private room a most demanding colonel Wilfrid Hyde-White. Hyde- White is a sportsman and has an arrangement with one of the orderlies to keep his bets being placed.They all live in mortal terror of the head matron Hattie Jacques who is the mother of Nurse Ratched. They'd all like to do something to her, but only Williams actually tells her off.The climax of this film is hysterical as Williams who believes he can master any subject reads a book on surgery and decides to do a little operating to help his mate Phillips out. The others all join in with Hawtrey in a nurses uniform keeping a lookout and Connor applying a little too much anesthesia all around. You have to see it to believe it.Carry On Nurse is a great followup film to Carry On Sergeant and insured this series would have a life.
Leofwine_draca
My favourite Carry On films are the ones set within a single location: such plot devices allow the scriptwriters to focus on amusing character aspects and interactions, while the ones that have the team travelling all over the place feel a little contrived.CARRY ON NURSE is set entirely on a men's ward and proves to be one of the very best the series had to offer, made long before the rot set in (i.e. colour, endless tired smut, Barbara Windsor). Sid James isn't present, but most of the team are and on top form with plenty of gentle humour and exaggerated laughs.Of the group, Kenneth Connor bags the best role as a boxer with a broken wrist. Kenneth Williams gives strong support playing his usual snobby character, Charles Hawtrey gets to dress up as a nurse, and Wilfrid Hyde-White may be the most annoying patient ever to grace the screen (the much-remembered end gag is well deserved). The likes of Bill Owen, Terence Longdon and Leslie Phillips round out the rest of the blokes.The nurses are the equals of the gents. Joan Sims supplies the pratfalls, Hattie Jacques is excellent as the Matron (a role that's defined her ever since) and Shirley Eaton is quite wonderful as the one everybody loves. In fact, nobody puts a foot wrong, and that's what makes CARRY ON NURSE so great: it's a genuinely funny film throughout with never a dull moment.
TheLittleSongbird
I am quite fond of the Carry On movies, and Carry on Nurse while not the best is no exception. It is too short, the story is rather slight and plays second-fiddle to the gags and while most of them are funny and work very well the film does overdose a tad on the food, bedpan and needle gags. The film does look good enough, I can understand why people would say it's dated, but the photography is crisp and the setting is quite nice too. Carry on Nurse is efficiently directed by Gerald Thomas, the script is snappy and the gags are funny. The performances also add a lot, Hattie Jacques is superb while Joan Hickson, Joan Sims, Shirley Eaton, Leslie Phillips, Kenneth Williams and especially Wilfred Hyde-White are a lot of fun to watch. All in all, an enjoyable film and worth seeing for the cast. 7/10 Bethany Cox
vvjti
Carry on nurse is he second carry on film. Like most of the early films in the series it was filmed in black and white. It is a good carry on. It was the most successful film in the uk in 1959. It is quite memorable and helped establish a successful film series which is well known. As it is the second film, the cast are still a new group together. At this stage, Sid James hadn't joined the cast yet. There are many memorable moments just like the first film, carry on sergeant which make the film memorable and a success. It is the first film of joan sims, the bunion on the foot, the colonel and the daffodil, hattie jacques as the chief nurse and the attempt by patients to perform an operation themselves. There are many jokes and strong scenes which make good comedy.
AD
